Finding The Oldest
by CelticKitsune
Summary: How was it decided that Leo was the oldest and Mikey was the youngest?


AN: So in this I am picturing the turtles to be about nine or ten! Enjoy my little oneshot!

Mikey stood there staring with wide eyes, his teddy bear clutched close to his plastron as he looked back and forth between his two brothers as they argued. It seemed like they would fight over nearly everything lately, even something as simple as this, all he had asked was who was older out of the four of them.

Raph and Leo had immediately agreed that Mikey was the youngest, much to the smallest turtles dismay. "You're still such a baby, and you can't even sleep alone or you have bad dreams," Raph had said, and Mikey couldn't argue with that. They had then turned toward Donnie, and asked him for some input to Mikey's question.

"I don't care," was Donnie's reply as he hadn't even looked up at them.

"Forget him, he can be the second youngest," Raph said.

"He could still be the oldest though," Leo pointed out. "He is taller than all of us."

"Then I could be the second oldest!" Mikey said happily.

"No, you're shorter than all of us, so you're stuck being the youngest," Raph stuck his tongue out at Mikey.

"Fine," Mikey huffed. "Then what about you two? If I'm the youngest, then Donnie. Which one of you two is the oldest?"

"Me!" Both his brothers had spoken at the same time, and things went downhill from there. Mikey turned his attention toward third brother, the olive green turtle was sitting over in the corner taking apart something that he had found during their last trip to the dump.

"Donnie," Mikey said, wandering away from his two arguing brothers. Donnie looked up from what he was doing, looking at Mikey, then glancing over to Leo and Raph before returning his attention to his project. "Donnie!" Mikey whined as he was ignored.

"They'll stop fighting soon enough," Donnie said.

"I know but… they still haven't answered my question," Mikey pouted.

"Because there isn't an answer to the question," Donnie stated.

"Do you really not care?" Mikey asked, sitting down on the floor in front of Donnie.

"No, I really don't, because there isn't an answer to it, and there's no way of finding out, so why worry about it?" Donnie asked.

"I just… I just wanted to know…" Mikey lowered his head, and Donnie looked up from his project once more, letting out a small sigh he placed it aside. He didn't know why having an answer to this question was so important to the smaller turtle, but he hated Mikey looking so upset.

"Well, there really isn't a way to tell who is older, Mikey," Donnie said. "But… maybe we could make it up?" Donnie suggested, smiling when Mikey looked up at him.

"Really?" Mikey asked and Donnie nodded, earling a bright smile from Mikey.

"You are really awesome! And if anyone can do this, it's you! You're the super smartest person I know!" Mikey said, and Donnie returned the smile, even if Mikey's statement was a little silly, since they only knew each other, and their father, the sentiment behind the statement is what truly counted.

"I'm going to need your help though," Donnie said, laughing as Mikey seemed to start bouncing with excitement. "Well, first we have to look at the facts," Donnie said, pointing to where Leo and Raph were still standing, their argument growing more heated, but it thankfully hadn't resorted to fists yet. Mikey shifted around so that he could face the same direction as Donnie, looking at their other two brothers as well.

"Facts?" Mikey asked. "Like… Raph and Leo like to fight a lot?" Mikey said.

"Yes, that is a fact," Donnie chuckled. "But more than that, they said you were the youngest because of how you act, right?" Donnie said and Mikey nodded his head quickly. "I think it's only fair that we decide the oldest by the way they act."

"But… right now they're both acting the exact same," Mikey pointed out.

"Yeah, because they both like fighting with each other," Donnie huffed. "But when they're not fighting with each other, they're not exactly the same," Donnie pointed out.

"Raph is always a meanie though," Mikey pouted.

"Not always," Donnie said. "What about when we were out in the sewers, you fell and hurt your foot, Raph carried you all the way home," Donnie said.

"Yeah! And Leo just left us to go tell daddy that I got hurt," Mikey said and looked thoughtful.

"Raph is always protecting us,"

"Unless it's from a bug!" Mikey giggled, and even Donnie let out a small laugh.

"Yes, unless it's from bugs," Donnie agreed. "So, we know that Raph is mean, he likes teasing us, and he teases Leo a lot too," Donnie said. "But we also know that Raph doesn't like us getting hurt, even if he's the one that hurts us, he hates that even more," Donnie said.

"So… those are the facts about Raph?" Mikey asked and Donnie nodded.

"Yes, now, what are facts about Leo?" Donnie asked, watching as Mikey started studying their other brother.

"Leo like's to copy daddy," Mikey said. "If daddy does something, Leo tries to do it, Leo always watches us, and if Raph is being to mean, Leo tries to makes him stop," Mikey said.

"That is a good fact," Donnie said. "Leo doesn't like anyone hurting us."

"But, Leo get's mad at us like Raphie does too," Mikey said.

"He does, we're brothers, we'll always do stuff that makes each other mad," Donnie said, and MIkey turned wide blue eyes toward Donnie.

"... Do I make you mad sometimes too?" Mikey asked, as if this was the first time that thought had ever occurred to him.

"Sometimes you do, but not a lot," Donnie said, not wanting to lie to Mikey, but hoping that he could reassure his brother that he never stayed mad at him. Though this didn't seem to work all that well as he saw tears start welling up in Mikey's eyes.

"I'm sorry! I never wanted to make anyone mad!" Mikey cried.

"You don't make us mad," Donnie said, quickly wrapping his arms around his now crying brother. He looked up, seeking out Leo hoping that his brother would be able to fix it.

Raph and Leo had stopped fighting as soon as they heard Mikey crying, Raph was the first one there, looking worriedly down at the crying turtle. "What happened?" Leo asked as he was suddenly next to them, kneeling on the floor.

"I didn't mean to make anyone mad!" Mikey cried, answering Leo's question, though his answer seemed to just confuse Leo more.

"No one's mad at you, Mikey," Leo said, reaching out a hand and placing it on his brother's head. "Raph and I were just having a stupid fight."

"But I asked you the question that made you fight! And Donnie said that he gets mad at me sometimes…" Mikey sniffed. Leo sighed, sitting down and gently pulling Mikey away from Donnie until the smaller turtle was sitting in his lap.

"Mikey, we're brothers, we're going to get mad at each other sometimes. But even if we get mad I promise that I'm always going to be your brother, and I will always protect you," Leo said. "All of you."

"Even if you're so mad that you never want to see us again," Mikey asked, lifting his head to look at Leo.

"That would never happen," Leo said.

"But it could!" Mikey argued back.

Leo made a face, but didn't continue arguing with Mikey and just nodded. "Yes, even then," Leo promised, and Mikey smiled at him. Leo smiled back, reaching up to wipe away some of Mikey's stray tears, he glanced over when Donnie shifted a little closer to them, putting a hand on Mikey's shoulder.

"Come on Mikey, let's go wash your face now that you're done crying," Donnie said, "Then we can go see if dad is back," Donnie stood and held out his hand, Mikey took it eagerly, allowing for his tallest brother to lead him out of the room. Once the two younger turtles had left the room, Leo stood and turned toward Raph again.

"Ya know… I suppose it don't matter," Raph said and Leo raised an eye ridge at him. "Who's the oldest I mean…"

"No, it really doesn't matter," Leo agreed.

"But… if it _did_ matter… then… well, I guess I wouldn't mind," Raph huffed looking away. "I wouldn't mind if you were the oldest."

"Thanks, Raph," Leo smiled. "And ya know, being second oldest isn't too bad either."

Raph smirked. "Yeah, it means if something goes wrong, I can still blame it on ya," Raph laughed as Leo punched him playfully in the arm.

"It also means if I'm not here, it will be up to you to keep Donnie and Mikey safe," Leo said.

Raph shook his head crossing his arms as he narrowed his eyes at Leo. "That ain't gonna happen, if you're gonna be the oldest, then ya have to stick around," Raph huffed. "You ain't going nowhere," he said firmly.

Leo was a little surprised by Raph's tone of voice, but nodded his head quickly. "I'm not going anywhere," Leo agreed. "Now, let's go wait for father,"

"I'll race ya!" Raph laughed as darted out of the room, Leo right behind him.

END


End file.
